Messiah in Chanukkah Chapter 4
- Kislev Scripture Lesson #4: The Eternal One will Remember all His Promises
- Messiah is both the “Prince of Fire”and “Friend of the King” (the Friend of God)
- God glorified Himself in His Cloud of Fire (1st) and His Prince of Fire (2nd)
- God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth
- The Jewish dual-addressal of our God and His Messiah
- The Messiah Yeshua is the Voice of God our Father
- God first spoke through His prophets; now He speaks through His Messiah
- Meaning of the second elder’s name, “Friend of the King”
- Father Avraham, the Friend of God our King
- Abstaining from selfishness by practicing Hospitality and Friendship
- God rebuked our religious leaders for possessing hearts hard as flint
- Let the Spirit of Loving-kindness (Chesed) rule your heart!
Kislev Scripture Lesson #4: The Eternal One will Remember all His Promises:
ויהי בשנת ארבע לדריוש המלך היה דבר־ה’ אל־זכריה בארבעה לחדש התשעי בכסלו׃
וַֽיְהִי בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ הָיָה דְבַר־ה‘ אֶל־זְכַרְיָה בְּאַרְבָּעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁעִי בְּכִסְלֵֽו׃
“In the fourth year of King Darius, the Word of GOD came to Zecharyah on the fourth day of the ninth month (חודש תשיעי), which is Kislev.”
The name of the prophet Zecharyah (זכריה) means “GOD Remembers” (cf. Zechariah 1:1 and 7:1). In the month of Kislev God remembered His promise to provide Israel [and through Israel the world] with a Savior. The Spirit of Wisdom, Ruach Ha-Chokmah, tells us in the beginning of this prophetic narrative that the prophet Zecharyah is the son of Berekyah (בן־ברכיה) who is the son of Iddo (בן־עדו). These two personal names reveal to us the origin of the promises of God and when and where these promises are remembered and thereby fulfilled.
The meanings of the names of the grandfather and father of the prophet Zecharyah tell us all we need know.
The name of the grandfather *Iddo (עדו) means “Eternity” and the name of the father **Berekyah (ברכיה) means the “Blessing of GOD.” This means the blessing of God originated in eternity and was fully remembered and fulfilled at just the right time. So, it is written:
*The son of eternity is the blessing of God!
.אבל כאשר מלאה העת שלח אלוהים את בנו, ילוד אשה וכפוף לתורה
Truly at the fullness of time, God *sent His Son, born of a woman and subject to Torah.
**The Blessing of GOD comes out from eternity into creation:
לכן בהיכנסו אל העולם הוא אומר: “זבח ומינחה לא־חפצת, גוף כוננת לי; עולה וחטאה לא שאלת. אז אמרתי: הינה־באתי – בימגילת־ספר כתוב עלי – לעשות־רצונך, אלהי.” פ
Therefore, upon entering the world, he says: “Sacrifice and offerings you did not want, a body you prepared for me; offerings and sins you did not ask. So I said: I have come – in the scroll – it is written about me [The Messiah] – to do your will, my God.”
In Zechariah (7:1-3) we discover in the context of the Kislev passage a repeated double witness not only to time – the number of the month and the name of the month – but also a double witness of the two elders who have come from the “House of the Almighty” (בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל-Beit-El) to go up to the priests in Jerusalem (Foundation of Shalem), to obtain knowledge that will gain them favor with HaShem (the NAME). Please note that in the witness of the two meanings of the given names of the two elders from Bethel, the House of God (Beit-El), it is revealed:
וישלח בית־אל שר־אצר ורגם מלך ואנשיו לחלות את־פני ה’׃ לאמר אל־הכהנים אשר לבית־ה’ צבאות ואל־הנביאים לאמר האבכה בחדש החמשי הנזר כאשר עשיתי זה כמה שנים׃
וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל שַׂר־אֶ֕צֶר וְרֶ֥גֶם מֶ֖לֶךְ וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֑יו לְחַלֹּ֖ות אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י ה’׃ לֵאמֹ֗ר אֶל־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ לְבֵית־ה’ צְבָאֹ֔ות וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר הַֽאֶבְכֶּה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַחֲמִשִׁ֔י הִנָּזֵ֕ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי זֶ֖ה כַּמֶּ֥ה שָׁנִֽים׃
Now the town of Beit-El had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech and their men to seek the favor of the LORD, speaking to the a priests who belong to the house of the LORD of armies (hosts), and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?”
Messiah is both the “Prince of Fire”and “Friend of the King” (the Friend of God).
The names of the two elders referenced in Zechariah (7:2) bear witness to the Messiah who is both: the Prince of Fire (שַׂר־אֶ֕צֶר ,שַׁרְאֶצֶר-Assyrian); and a “Friend of the King” (רֶ֥גֶם מֶ֖לֶךְ-Arabic). Therefore most importantly since God is our King we are to become a Friend of God (ידיד אלוהים). This three-fold international witness to a specific time, person, and place is important. Bethel (בית־אל), the place of origin of the Prince of Fire and Friend of the King is a reminder of our previous study of the “Staircase of Ya’acov” (סֻלָּם יַעֲקֹב).
Question: What is the house that God most desires to dwell-in?
Answer: God desires to dwell in the house of Adam (humankind).
We see in the place name of Beit-El (בית־אל), Bethel, a word picture of both man as the house of God and EL-Beit-El as the GOD who Indwells the man who is His house (האל בית־אל). The names of the two elders are a witness of the Messiah. The Messiah has made it possible for the invisible Spirit of the Holy One to tent—-be cloaked in human form and visibly dwell among us. Therefore, in the testimony of the *last Adam (Ben Ha-Elohim), who always hears, understands, and obeys God, there dwells in him all of the glorious Presence of God—-who is an All-Consuming Fire (אש אוכלה).
*Adam Ha-acharon (האדם האחרון). Therefore, regarding his name, the name of Yeshua (ישוע), the Salvation of GOD, it is a true saying:
ואין ישועה באחר, כי אין שם אחר נתון לבני אדם תחת השמים, ובו עלינו להיושע.פ
And there is no salvation (ישועה) in another, because there is no other name given to men under heaven, in which we must be saved.
God glorified Himself in His Cloud of Fire (1st) and His Prince of Fire (2nd):
This was not the first time that God had manifested His glorious Presence in a visible form.
At the first God glorified Himself in His Cloud of Fire. Yet again, a second time, God glorified Himself by Indwelling His Beloved Son, the Messiah. The Messiah, therefore, is the Prince of Fire. Ironically, the transliterated Assyrian word for “fire” (אֶ֕צֶר) sounds exactly like our Hebrew word for treasure (אֶצצֶר). This means:
The Presence of God that we love and treasure resides within the tent of the humanity of His Messiah.
For these reasons we honor the man Yeshua (Jesus) above all men and above all creation, however, we only worship his God and our God who indwells him. As Jews we are incapable of worshiping a man (any man). Rabbeinu Yeshua has clearly and emphatically stated that God is Spirit:
האלוהים הוא רוח והעובדים אותו צריכים לעבדו ברוח ובאמת.פ
הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא רוּחַ וְהָעוֹבְדִים אוֹתוֹ צְרִיכִים לְעָבְדוֹ בְּרוּחַ וּבֶאֱמֶת.פ
God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
God is Spirit and not a man. Yeshua who is a human is not God. The Divine Spirit Who Indwells our brother Yeshua—He is GOD and it is He who we do worship. This is unlike the gentiles who as yet do not see the difference. We see the difference. The believing gentiles are confused because they see only the unity (אחדות) but not the difference (שמע אחד). Thereby these dear brothers and sisters in the faith of our Father Abraham ignorantly worship the man as being equal to the Presence of God that eternally indwells him. This we should not do.
As Jews we know the difference between Yeshua the man (adoni) and the Spirit of the Holy One who indwells him (ADONAI).
In the first century (CE) when Messiah Yeshua walked the earth our Jewish brothers were taught to differentiate between the Spirit of GOD and His House—Rabbeinu Yeshua. One of the talmid of Rabbi Yeshua Thomas (Twin, תְאוֹם) realized he was in the presence of the perfect sinless unity of Rabbi Yeshua and the Spirit of God. His very proper Jewish dual-addressal was exactly like that of King David in the Psalms. Thomas first prophetically addressed Yeshua as “my lord” (adoni) and then he addressed the Spirit of the Holy One as “My God” (ADONAI); the latter being a direct reference to THE LORD of my lord!
אדוני ואלהי!פ
my lord (master) and my God!
The Jewish dual-addressal of our God and His Messiah:
This Jewish dual-addressal that addresses the presence of the man as lord (master) and worships the indwelling Presence of God is just like David’s prophetic dual-addressal to his greater son Yeshua ben David and to his GOD in Psalm 110:1; except David’s prophetic addressal to Yeshua and to GOD is delivered in the opposite order of Thomas’ addressal.
With the Prophet-King David the first addressal is made to YHWH who is the God of the House (ELOHIM-Beit-El) and the second addressal is to Yeshua the man, who is our master (Beit-El) the house of God. We read in Psalm 110:
לְדָוִד מִזְמֹור נְאֻם ה’ לַֽאדֹנִי שֵׁב לִֽימִינִי עַד־אָשִׁית אֹיְבֶיךָ הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃
A Psalm of David.
ADONAI/YHWH says to my adon (master):
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
Why does the talmid Thomas, the Twin, address Rabbi Yeshua and GOD in a different order than the Prophet-King David?
In his dual-addressal the talmid Thomas addresses the Messiah first as my master (אדוני), then he addresses the LORD second as my God (אלוהי). This Jewish order of dual-addressal is due to Thomas knowing that after the atoning sacrifice, death, and life-giving resurrection of the Messiah it was the will of God our Father that we Israel believe in His Messiah and His redemptive sacrifice that He gave to us to cleanse us from all sin. Then after we had affirmed our faith in the sacrifice of His Messiah and only then would it be proper for us to receive from God our Father His permanent gift of the Indwelling Presence of His Spirit.
The Messiah Yeshua is the Voice of God our Father:
It is also very important to point out that Rabbeinu Yeshua, our Redeemer, never claimed to be God. Therefore our Rabbi clearly proclaimed:
אים אנכי מעיד על עצמי, עדותי איננה אמת. יש אחר המעיד עלי, ויודע אני כי עדות אמת הוא מעיד עלי. פ
If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies about me, and I know that HE is a true witness who testifies about me.
Rabbeinu Yeshua never came to our Jewish ancestors in his own name. He did not bear witness to himself. Yeshua came to us solely in the NAME and the will of his Father and our Father—HaShem. And it is GOD Himeslf who bears witness to Yeshua. For he is exactly what the prophets of Israel said he would be—-the humble Servant of the Holy One.
What is initially very confusing to all of us, however, is that when God speaks to us through the tent of His beloved Son, who is His Voice (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), He does not speak through him to us in the third person; as He always did when He spoke to us (Israel) through His servants the prophets. Now God our Father always communicates to us through His Messiah in the first person—-I say to you.
God first spoke through His prophets; now He speaks through His Messiah:
Therefore, in times past the Spirit of the Holy One spoke to our ancestors through the prophets, in part, in the third person. However, now ever since the coming of M’shicho God speaks to us Face-to face through him. Understandably this has caused our wayward Jewish religious leaders (rabbis) to wrongfully believe that Rabbeinu Yeshua was a blasphemer. Thanks be to the LORD our God we Jews are beginning to see that this very false belief is very wrong and so it is now beginning to be corrected.
As to the gentile believers, this first person prophecy has also caused them problems too. Except they are confused in a different way. They are confused by “the unity” that exists between our brother Rabbeinu Yeshua and God our Father. The *perfect unity of the Father to our Messiah is such that most of the gentile believers have come to believe that the Rabbi Yeshua is God. Apparently, God winks at this error. Why? Because the Spirit of Grace understands that the perfect unity of God and His son Yeshua is confusing to all but the one person who has experienced it—the Messiah Yeshua ben David ben Avraham.
It is understandable that the *perfect unity that has always existed between GOD the Father and His Son would cause our gentile brothers and sisters to think Rabbeinu Yeshua is God. In their ignorance they failed to understand the difference between the meaning of the man Yeshua and his title—HaMashiach. Yeshua is a man who is the high priest of all humankind. It is true he died an atoning death for all humankind. Not just Jews. He is what his name indicates—the Salvation of YHWH. So the Jew Jesus is a man and now after atoning for sin he sits at the right hand of the FATHER as a glorified man.
The title of Ha-Mashiach however is different than the name Yeshua.
The word Messiah indicates a duality of GOD to man. This is so because ALL of the deity of GOD the Father and His Holy Spirit dwells bodily in the Messiah Yeshua. Therefore, be careful that whether Jew or Gentile you do not disrespect the Son whom GOD has sent. For to act disrespectfully toward the Messiah of GOD is to act disrespectfully toward Avinu Shebashamayim Himself!
Meaning of the second elder’s name, “Friend of the King:”
Our understanding is that our Father in heaven has winked at their (gentile) sin of unknowing transgression for He knows (sees) that in their hearts these God-fearers actually are sincerely worshiping the LORD our God and not His Beloved Son [note to the readers: more to follow on this later.] Next question:
What is the meaning of the second elder’s name, the “Friend of the King?”
Throughout the entirety of our Hebrew scriptures it appears that the LORD our God is seeking from us – Israel, and the *Commonwealth of Israel – redeemed humanity, nothing less than a permanent state of friendship (shalem).
*Commonwealth of Israel: Note that the names of the two Jewish elders from Beit-El are not Hebrew names. The names Sharezer (Assyrian) and Regem-Melech (Arabic) are only transliterated in Hebrew. These two Jewish elders had been assigned foreign names like that given to the prophet Daniel (Belteshazzar). The meanings of these (foreign) names are prophetic and are, therefore, part of the Divinely inspired narrative.
Father Avraham, the Friend of God our King:
Almost four thousand years have gone by since our father Abraham was blessed to be called a beloved Friend of God (ידיד אלוהים). Is it any surprise to any of us today that nothing has changed? For the truth is God wants to be a Friend to us just as He has been and continues to be with our father Abraham. Therefore Elohei Avraham has clearly said to us through His Holy Servant, the Messiah ben David ben Avraham:
לכן היו שלמים, כמו שאביכם שבשמים שלם הוא. פ
Therefore be *perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
*Literally be shelamim a peace offering, as your heavenly Father is shalem; perfect in every way!
Abstaining from selfishness by practicing Hospitality and Friendship:
Of these two elders—whose names testify to our sinless Messiah, a perfect man, a friend to all who is both perfectly hospitable and friendly — a peace offering in every way—we must ask what do these Jewish men mean by their asking the priests in Jerusalem the question, “at what times should we practice fasting?” And why was God’s reply to their question “No”?
The answer to these questions are found in the rejection response that was delivered to the two elders by the prophet Zechariah. The God of the Beginning (Elohei Kedem) replied that for seventy years His (our) people had been *substituting the practice of fasting for the moral and relational virtue He had required. So were our ancestors then and we now rebuked:
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
*Rebuked for substituting form, the commandments of men, over the substance of the heart that God wants!
The fast God wants is for His family to abstain from selfishness.
The Holy One wants our people to practice loving-kindness and compassion – genuine friendship – toward one another. Additionally, He wants our people to practice charity toward the widows, the fatherless, the poor, and the aliens who live in His most sacred land of Israel. God therefore was rebuking our ancestors and us (today) for abusing instead of helping the economically disadvantaged. The Holy One was very disappointed and angry with our ancestors. He accused them and us today of being zealous to act religiously—exercising ritualistic prayer and fasting—while secretly being guilty of exploiting the poor and aliens living in His Land; and His World.
God rebuked our religious leaders for possessing hearts as hard as flint:
This lack of compliance to God’s will has severely angered Him in the past and the present; and we pray not in the future. Our lack of friendly behavior to one another and others has always been considered an act of aggression and hostility to the Holy One. So His righteous answer in Jerusalem to the two leaders from Bethel (Beit-El) was that because they had disregarded His former and present requests for relational excellence and charity, He would disregard their (our) request for safety and material blessings.
Therefore, the land of Israel would remain desolate for as long as our people continued to perform the deceit of zealously performing religious acts while failing to practice the more important acts of kindness toward one another and compassion toward the poor and disadvantaged living in our land and today—throughout the entire world.
Let the Spirit of Loving-kindness (Chesed) rule your heart!
Need anymore be said right now about the Spirit of Loving-Kindness (Chesed) that should rule over our lives throughout the entire year? The answer is “yes, more must be said of Grace.” For although we have been faithless He must remain faithful for He will not deny Himself the joy of loving His treasured people (Israel) that He has set apart as His own possession. Therefore, hear the Word of God (Zechariah 8:14-23):
כי כה אמר ה’ צבאות כאשר זממתי להרע לכם בהקציף אבתיכם אתי אמר ה’ צבאות ולא נחמתי׃ כן שבתי זממתי בימים האלה להיטיב את־ירושלם ואת־בית יהודה אל־תיראו׃ אלה הדברים אשר תעשו דברו אמת איש את־רעהו אמת ומשפט שלום שפטו בשעריכם׃ ואיש את־רעת רעהו אל־תחשבו בלבבכם ושבעת שקר אל־תאהבו כי את־כל־אלה אשר שנאתי נאם־ה’׃
כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה’ צְבָאֹות כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַמְתִּי לְהָרַע לָכֶם בְּהַקְצִיף אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶם אֹתִי אָמַר ה’ צְבָאֹות וְלֹא נִחָֽמְתִּי׃ כֵּן שַׁבְתִּי זָמַמְתִּי בַּיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה לְהֵיטִיב אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה אַל־תִּירָֽאוּ׃ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תַּֽעֲשׂוּ דַּבְּרוּ אֱמֶת אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלֹום שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶֽם׃ וְאִישׁ אֶת־רָעַת רֵעֵהוּ אַֽל־תַּחְשְׁבוּ בִּלְבַבְכֶם וּשְׁבֻעַת שֶׁקֶר אַֽל־תֶּאֱהָבוּ כִּי אֶת־כָּל־אֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵאתִי נְאֻם־ה’׃
For thus says Adonai Tseva’ot, “Just as I purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,” says the Adonai Tseva’ot, “and I have not relented, so I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates (i.e. the places where our court proceedings are held). Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury (false witness); for all these are what I hate,” declares GOD.
ויהי דבר־ה’ צבאות אלי לאמר׃ כה־אמר ה’ צבאות צום הרביעי וצום החמישי וצום השביעי וצום העשירי יהיה לבית־יהודה לששון ולשמחה ולמעדים טובים והאמת והשלום אהבו׃
וַיְהִי דְּבַר־ה’ צְבָאֹות אֵלַי לֵאמֹֽר׃ כֹּֽה־אָמַר ה’ צְבָאֹות צֹום הָרְבִיעִי וְצֹום הַחֲמִישִׁי וְצֹום הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְצֹום הָעֲשִׂירִי יִהְיֶה לְבֵית־יְהוּדָה לְשָׂשֹׂון וּלְשִׂמְחָה וּֽלְמֹעֲדִים טֹובִים וְהָאֱמֶת וְהַשָּׁלֹום אֱהָֽבוּ׃
Then the word of Adonai Tseva’ot came to me, saying, Thus says Adonai Tseva’ot, “The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become Joy, gladness, and goodly (cheerful) feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth (הָאֱמֶת-relational firmness, faithfulness, and reliability) and peace (הַשָּׁלֹום-societal safety, quiet, tranquility, well-being).
This prophecy means we the people of Israel, the servant-leader of all the nations are to help each other become complete persons; and to the extent we can to do the same for all the nations, peoples, and families of the world. We are called by our heavenly Father to practice shelamim and strive to be shalem, like Avinu Shebashamayim is Shalem. In the name of GOD our Father we are expected to practice hospitality with each other and to all; therefore, we must seek friendly relations with everyone—even our enemies!
כה אמר ה’ צבאות עד אשר יבאו עמים וישבי ערים רבות׃ והלכו ישבי אחת אל־אחת לאמר נלכה הלוך לחלות את־פני ה’ ולבקש את־ה’ צבאות אלכה גם־אני׃ ובאו עמים רבים וגוים עצומים לבקש את־ה’ צבאות בירושלם ולחלות את־פני ה’׃ כה אמר ה’ צבאות בימים ההמה אשר יחזיקו עשרה אנשים מכל לשנות הגוים והחזיקו בכנף איש יהודי לאמר נלכה עמכם כי שמענו אלוהים עמכם׃
כֹּה אָמַר ה’ צְבָאֹות עֹד אֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ עַמִּים וְיֹשְׁבֵי עָרִים רַבֹּֽות׃ וְֽהָלְכוּ יֹשְׁבֵי אַחַת אֶל־אַחַת לֵאמֹר נֵלְכָה הָלֹוךְ לְחַלֹּות אֶת־פְּנֵי ה’ וּלְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־ה’ צְבָאֹות אֵלְכָה גַּם־אָֽנִי׃ וּבָאוּ עַמִּים רַבִּים וְגֹויִם עֲצוּמִים לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־ה’ צְבָאֹות בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וּלְחַלֹּות אֶת־פְּנֵי ה’׃ כֹּה אָמַר ה’ צְבָאֹות בַּיָּמִים הָהֵמָּה אֲשֶׁר יַחֲזִיקוּ עֲשָׂרָה אֲנָשִׁים מִכֹּל לְשֹׁנֹות הַגֹּויִם וְֽהֶחֱזִיקוּ בִּכְנַף אִישׁ יְהוּדִי לֵאמֹר נֵֽלְכָה עִמָּכֶם כִּי שָׁמַעְנוּ אֱלֹהִים עִמָּכֶֽם׃
Thus says Adonai Tseva’ot, “It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of GOD, and to seek Adonai Tseva’ot; I will also go.” So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek Adonai Tseva’ot in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of GOD.” Thus says Adonai Tseva’ot, “In those days ten men (מניין-minyan, a worship quorum) from all the languages of the nations they will grasp the corner (four wings of tzitzit) of the garment (Tallit) of a Yehudi (one Jew), saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’